Convertible case packing unit and upside-down case packer therefor

ABSTRACT

There is disclosed a basic case-packing unit that is convertible for use with interchangeable case-packing units of various types, and an upside-down case packer for use thereon. The basic unit comprises a frame with an endless conveyor belt that receive containers and container-shaped articles at one end, and arranges them in a predetermined arrangement for removal at the discharge end over a dead plate flush with the top reach of the belt. projecting frame structures at the discharge end of the belt provide support for various case-packing units that can be interchangeably mounted thereon. An upside-down case packer for mounting on the projecting frame structures is also disclosed.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Frank P. Alduk I16 Guadalcanal Road, New Castle, Pa. 1920 [21 1 Appl. No. 796.092 [22] Filed Feb. 3, 1969 [45] Patented July 20, I971 [54] CONVERTIBLE CASE PACKING UNIT AND UPSIDE-DOWN CASE PACKER THEREFOR 9 Claims, 13 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 53/243, 53/159, 53/201, 198/31 AC [51] Int. Cl B65b 5/06, B65h 21/22, B65b 35/54 [50] Field olSearch 53/61,62, I59, 161, 20] 242, 243, 247, 248, I66; 198/22 B, 31

156] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,657,845 11/1953 Smith 53/166 2,746,226 5/1956 Donald et al. 53/392 X 2,786,3l6 3/1957 Silva et al 53/392 2,879,638 3/1959 Hill 53/243 X 2,982,072 5/1961 McGihon 53/243 3,052,07I 9/1962 Copping 53/166 X 3,340,676 9/I967 Arnett 53/166 X Primary Examiner-Theron E. Condon Assistant ExaminerRobert L. Spruill Attorney-Parrnelee, Utzler & Welsh ABSTRACT: There is disclosed a basic case-packing unit that is convertible for use with interchangeable case-packing units of various types, and an upside-down case packer for use thereon. The basic unit comprises a frame with an endless conveyor belt that receive containers and container-shaped articles at one end, and arranges them in a predetermined arrangement for removal at the discharge end over a dead plate flush with the top reach of the belt. projecting frame structures at the discharge end of the belt provide support for various case-packing units that can be interchangeably mounted thereon. An upside-down case packer for mounting on the projecting frame structures is also disclosed.

PATENTED JUL20 I971- SHEET I 1 BF 4 I In! 30 INVENTOR FRANK P. ALDUK INI- flgzv Iris Allornays PATENTEU JUL20 197i SHEET 2 BF 4 INVENTOR FRANK P. ALDUK By 7 M, W W

Iris 4 tfornays PATENTEU JULZO m:

SHEET UF 4 INVENTOR FRANK P. ALDUK his Attorneys CONVERTIBLE CASE PACKING UNIT AND UPSIDE- DOWN CASE PACKERTIIEREFOR This invention relates to the packaging'of a number of similar objects, such as containers of various kinds into cartons. Machines of this type are commonly known as case packers.

I953, there is disclosed a case packer that is commonly known as an upside-down case packer. As therein disclosed, the machine comprises a supporting frame havinglegs and parallel spaced horizontal structural sections or channels between,

which there is a continuous power-driven belt conveyor for conveying containers from a rcceiving'end toward a discharge end. There is arranged over, the conveyor adjacent the discharge end a usual arrangement of longitudinally extending equally spaced parallel guide plates with a motor that reciprocates acrossbar connected with the forward or upstream end of each of these plates to oscillate them transversely of the conveyor through'only a short arc. This arrangement of plates, often termed a grid structure,,arranges containers which are positioned at random on the receiving. end of the conveyor into'longitudinal rows or lanes. There is a dead plate atthe discharge end of the conveyor over which the con- In US. Pat. to R. A. Smith, No. 2,657,845, granted Nov..3,

, slowdown this action, or more gently effect transfer of the filled cartons to a receiving conveyor is quite tiresome, and a further object of this invention is to more gently invert the filled cartons and deliver them to a conveyor. t e I To accomplish the foregoing objects, the present invention provides first forso mounting the grid or' divider plate assembly over the discharge end portion of the belt conveyor that it can be bodily lifted out of the 'machine and set aside where it is not req'uired, or another one set in place without the use of tools. Also, the eccentric for oscillating the-divider plates of the grid can be adjusted to provide a greater or lesser degree of motion to the divider plate, depending on the diameter of the container to be packed Furthermore, the tilting plate, its operating mechanism and the gating device are so modified and constructed as to be embodied in a self-conained unit that can be set on extensions of the structural side sections at each side of the conveyor so that it can be removed by simply removing a few bolts and disconnecting an air hose, as when removed, can be replaced with a unit as disclosed in .one of said copending applications, and simply replaced by setting it in place and securing it with the bolts, with provision for adjusting it to the required level.

tainers are pushed in rows onto'a tiltable platform mounted on a rock shaft carried inbearing blocks bolted to the side chan' nels of the' frame. When a case load of containers is pushed over the dead plate onto this platform, an'inverted carton is pushed down over the containersfA fluid pressure cylinder and piston unit attached to the frame and the under side of the platform then tilts the platform to a vertical position, causing the carton with its case load of containers to topple over and land openside up on a conveyor. When the plate tilts in this way a second cylinder raises'a gate mounted onthe' machine frame across the discharge end of the dead plate to'block the continued movement of the containers toward the tilting platfonn until the platform returns to its normal position and the gate is lowered.

While the machine as disclosed in this patent is entirely satisfactoryand has'met with considerable commercial success by me as a licensee under said patent, especially for packing bottles into cartons having cells therein with one cell for each bottle in a case lot, its use is restricted to a limited field, whereas case lots of containers or containerlike units are packed in various ways. Smaller food processors and manufacturers may pack a run of one type of container and then other types, and since case packing machinery is quite costly and each separate packing machine requires considerable floor space, plant, investment for the automatic case packing of a variety of products and utilizing different sizes of containers becomes almost prohibitive.

l have discovered that with some alteration the machine as disclosed inthe Smith patent can be used for what is known as the nest packing of case lots of containers in cartons, as disclosed in my application Ser. 'No. 824,639, filed May 14, I969. I have also invented a novel drop-through case packer, which, with alterations of the structure of, said patent, can be adapted thereto, as disclosed in my application Ser. No. 796,097, filed Feb. 3, I969, and also an end case packer for applicationthereto as disclosed in my application Ser. No. 796,056, filed Feb. 3, I969. To the extent that it may be important to this invention, the disclosures of said other applica tions are incorporated herein by reference.

A difi'lculty with the conversion of the machine of said patent for use in such other operations is the downtime required to remove parts of the apparatus to receive units involving such other operations, and an important object of the present invention is to effect such conversion more rapidly and with less skilled labor.

The invention further provides a mechanism operated by the tilting platform in the form of star wheels or turnstile-type wheels rotated by the tilting platform mechanism for transferring the loaded cartons gently and without manual help to a receiving conveyor.

These and other objects and advantages are secured by my invention, a preferred form of which is disclosed in the accompanying drawings, in which: Y 1

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the basic unit to which the vari-- ous attachments are applicable;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of a complete upside-down packer embodyingth'e invention, but without the star wheel transfer means above referred to;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal vertical section inthe plane of line IV-IV of FIG. 3, showing the tilting platform in containerreceiving position; i

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 showing the platform tilted for discharging the loaded carton;

FIG. 6 is a transverse vertical section in substantially the plane of line VI-VI of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the adjustable eccentric;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary view on a larger scale showing a longitudinal section through a portion of the conveyor at the discharge end with the grid structure indicated in broken lines, the view being a longitudinal section in substantially the plane ofline VIII-VIII of FIG. 3;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary transverse section on a larger scale in the plane ofline IX-IX of FIG. 3;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary side elevation of that part of the apparatus shown in FIG. 9;

FIG. II is a plan view similar to FIG. 3 with a modified form of tilting plate, and with a mechanism for transferring the filled cartons from the upside-down position to the upright position on a conveyor;

Another difficulty with the upside-down packer of said 1 FIG. 13 is a detail structure of the indexing gear for moving the container transfer device of FIGS. II and 12, the view being a sideelevation.

Referring first to FIG. I, there is disclosed a machine having a supporting frame 2 with adjustable legs 3 at the base thereof. At the top of the frame there are two horizontal parallel structural sections or channels 4, one at each side of the machine frame. Only one of these is seen in FIG. I, but both of them are shown in FIG. 3.

There is a continuous conveyor belt 5 that passes around a tensioning roller 6 at the receiving end of the conveyor belt and around a driving roller 7 at the discharge end of the conveyor belt. As best seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, the frame has a crossmember 8 beyond the roller 7 on which is fixed a dead plate 9 that projects over the roller 7,'and the top of which is flush with the top reach of the conveyor belt 5. As is usual with equipment of this kind, the conveyor belt is preferably a woven link metal belt.

The roller 7 is driven from a motor and variable-speed unit indicated at 10 that drives the roller 7 through a sprocket chain 11.

There are two parallel side plates 12, one at each side of the machine adjacent the discharge end of the conveyor which extend well above the level of the top of the conveyor, and these side plates provide the support for the divider structure that forms the grid. These two plates are connected at the discharge end of the conveyor by an upper crossmember l3 and at their forward ends are connected by a crosspiece 14.

On the confronting faces of these two plates there are secured U-shaped brackets that are fixed to the plates below the level of the crossbar l3 and slightly forward thereof.

' One of these brackets is most clearly shown in FIG. 8. On the exterior surfaces of each of the two plates 12 at the forward end thereof there is an outwardly extending bearing bracket 16. The grid structure which is sometimes required to be used, or which is used in variously arranged patterns, comprises, as here shown, a number of vertical dividing plates 17 forming between them lanes L. In the particular embodiment shown in FIG. 3 there are six of these parallel lanes. The plates 17 have their lower edges spaced above the belt 5. Their upper ends at the discharge end of the machine have pins 18 attached thereto which pass through a generally square crossbar 19 providing a pivot for suspending each plate from the crossbar, and which enables the divider plates to be oscillated. Near the forward end of these divider plates there is a second crossbar 20 from which the forward ends of the divider plates are pivotally hung. As best seen in FIGS. 3 and 7, the crossbar 20 rests on the brackets 16, and one end of the crossbar projects laterally beyond the sideplate and has a depending slotted plate 21 thereon which forms a yoke that sets down over an eccentric pin and roller 22 at the end of the sleeve 23. This sleeve is at the end of a shaft 24 driven by an electric motor 25, the arrangement being such that when the shaft 24 is rotated, the pin and roller element 22 will impart a reciprocating motion to the bar 20 to oscillate the forward ends of the divider plates 17 through a slight arc, the amplitude of which depends from the diameter of the containers which are to be packed.

As best seen in FIG. 7, the sleeve 23 has an undercut cross groove 26 in its outer end, and there is a cross-slide 27 fitted into this groove on which is carried the pin and roller assembly 22. A radially disposed locking screw 28 passes through the forward end of the sleeve 23 to lock the slide 26 in any position to which it is adjusted. The further the slide is adjusted to move the pin and roller assembly 22 away from the center of the shaft 24, the greater will be the throw of the eccentric, and vice versa.

With this arrangement the throw of the eccentric can be very quickly changed to meet any size container with any number of lanes which may be required for any of the packing operations with which the machine is used.

The generally square crossbar 19 is of a length to just fit between the sideplates 12 to hold the crossbar against endwise movement, and its ends rest in the U-shaped bracket 15, the side of which restrains the bar from movement in the direction of the length of the conveyor. When the divider is to be removed, or a different divider to be used, it is merely necessary for the operator to first raise the yoke 21 off the eccentric pin and roller on the sleeve 23 and shift the crossbar 20 slightly to the right or left, and then drop it down, after which he may lift the crossbar 19 out of the supporting brackets 15 and then slide the whole grid structure comprising the divider plates and its crosspieces forwardly over the conveyor until it is clear of the forward crossbar 14 when it may be lifted entirely 011' the machine. Thus the removable end replacement of the grid structure can be effected by unskilled labor without the use of any tools, and grids may be readily interchanged by inserting one in the obvious manner of reversing the procedure which was followed in the removal ofa grid.

It will be seen that the ends of the parallel structural side frame sections 4 project beyond the discharge end of the conveyor well beyond the dead plate 9, and its supporting crossbar 8. These projecting ends are marked 4a in FIG. I, and there are two spaced bolt holes 4b in the top flanges of each of them. The space between the projecting ends 4a of the channels is clear and free of any obstruction or operating parts whatever.

The upside-down carton-packing mechanism is in a completely separate unitary attachment that is simply set onto the projecting ends of the structural sections 4. The unitary attachment comprises two parallel sideplates 30, each of which has on the outer face thereof a laterally turned flange3l as clearly seen in FIG. 9. The laterally turned flange of each plate rests on the top of the structural section 4a. It is bolted thereto by two bolts 32 that pass through the flange 31 and through the holes 4b in the top flange of the portions 4a. Between the bolts 32 as shown in FIG. 10 there are two screws 33, the lower ends of which bear on the top flange of the section 4a to provide for the vertical adjustment of the plate with respect to the dead plate. They provide in effect adjustable shims between the flange 31 and the flange of the section on which the flange rests, and to which it is bolted.

There is a rock shaft 35 supported in bearing blocks 36 secured to the inner faces of the plates 30, and this rock shaft is attached to the under side of a platform 37 having a replaceable top plate 38 thereon. As seen in FIG. 3, this top frame has parallel divider plates 39 thereon which are in line with the divider plates 17 over the conveyor, and which form between them lanes which are continuations of the lanes L. There is a transverse crosspiece 40 at the outer ends of the dividers 39. As best seen in FIG. 4, the top surface of the platform 37-38 is flush with thedead plate 9 and the adjustment screws 33 assure that this relationship can be maintained. The forward edge of the plate 38 has only a working clearance with the rear edge of the dead plate 9 and laps over onto the crosspiece 8 so that it cannot rock forwardly beyond a level position.

The rock shaft 35 has a crank arm 41 fixed thereto, and the outer end of this arm is pivotally connected at 42 to a clevis on the outer end of a piston rod 43 forming a part of a fluid pressure piston and cylinder assembly, the cylinder being designated 44. The lower end of the cylinder 44 is pivotally anchored at 45 to a crosspiece 46 extending between the lower portions of the two plates 30. The arrangement is such that when fluid pressure is admitted to the upper end of the cylinder 44 to drive the piston in the cylinder down, the shaft 35 will be rocked to move the platform 37-38 from the horizontal position shown in FIG. 4 to the vertical position shown in FIG. 5, and it will be noted that in so tilting, the platform swings away from the end of the conveyor so that the tilting is toward the rearof the machine.

With the parts in the position shown in FIG. 4, the top of the platform 37-38 is flush with the dead plate 9 and containers are urged by the conveyor 5 across the dead plate 9 into the lanes formed between the divider plates 39 on the platform until these lanes are full. The position of the stop bar 40 is so adjusted that in this particular application the distance from the stop bar to the forward edge of the platform is an even multiple of the diameters of the containers. As shown in the drawings, each lane is long enough to accept only four containers, and six lanes are shown, so that the platform accommodates a full case load which is normally 24 units.

A second hydraulic cylinder and piston unit has a cylinder 47 from the top of which extends a piston rod 49 which is raised and lowered through the operation of the cylinder. The lower end of the cylinder 448 is supported on a second crossbar 50 that extends between the two sideplates 30, and spaced above the cylinder 48 there is another crossbar 51 through 'which the piston rod passes, and in which it is guided. .The

upper end of the piston rod 49 has a clevis 52 which is rigidly secured to the lower end of a gate 53. There is a compression spring 54 confined between the clevis 52 and the crossbar 51. The gate 53 is located in a plane where its upper forward face rests against the downwardly depending leg of the crosspiece 8, and its upper edge is confined under the overhanging forward lip of the top plate 38 of the platform. There is a bracket 55 secured to the rear face of the gate 53 having a roller 56 that bears against the under side of the lower platform plate 37. This provides the bearing between the gate urged upwardly by the spring and the under side of the platform and facilitates the operation of the gate, and it reduces friction and wear between the gate and the platform.

As best seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, there is an air valve 60 mounted on a bracket 61 on one of the plates 30 so positioned that when the tilting platform 37-38 moves to the vertical position shown in FIG. 5, this valve will be tripped. The purpose of this valve is to simultaneously admit air to the lower end of the cylinder 44 to raise the piston rod 43 and restore the platform to its normal container-receiving position, and to admit air to the top of the. cylinder 47 to lower the gate 53 from the position shown in FIG. 5 to the normal position shown in FIG. 4.

The operation of the machine is much the same as that disclosed in the aforesaid Smith US. Pat. No. 2,657,845. There is a control unit 62 that is carried at the outer end of a bar 63 (see FIGS. 3 and 5), and this bar has two vertical legs 66 that set into holes or sockets 67 on the flange 31. These sockets are provided on both sides of the machine so that the control unit 62 may be placed at either side of the machine to suit the convenience of the operator, or plant conditions may require that the control be at one side or the other of a particular machine. This control unit has two pushbuttons, one of which controls the motor for the drive unit of the conveyor belt, and one of which controls the admission of air to the upper end of the cylinder 44 and the lower end of the cylinder 48.

For normal upside-down case packing, the parts are assembled as shown, and the containers as above described move from the conveyor across the dead plate into the lanes on the top of the tilting platform 37-38. When a case load of containers has been assembled on the platform, the operator pushes the air valve of control unit 62. This causes the platform 37-38 to swing the platform to the vertical position shown in FIG. 5, and as the platform tilts, clearance develops between the forward edge of the platform and the rear edge of the dead plate 9, allowing the cylinder 47 and the compressed spring 54 to push the gate 53 up to the position shown in FIG. 6 so that the gate blocks the further movement of the containers from the dead plate-off the conveyor. When the valve 60 is operated, the cylinder 44 returns the platfonn to its normal position, and as the platform approaches its normal position and the lower face of the platform bearing against the roller 56 urges the gate down against the compression of the spring 54 so that it is again confined below the overhanging forward edge of the top plate 38.

When a case load of containers are assembled on the platform 3738 and the operation previously described is ready to be performed, the operator places an open-top carton in inverted position over the group of containers on the platform. Such a carton is indicated in broken lines at C in FIGS. 4 and 5. The containers which are here shown as bottles, but which may be containers of various kinds, are designated B.

When it is desired to use the machine for the nest packing of containers, the divider plates 17 are not required, except that the plates at each side of the series are retained so that there is an open corridor between them. To accomplish this, one grid structure can very easily be removedand another one put in its place having only the sideplates, all as more fully described in application Ser. No. 824,639, filed May 14, I969.

Also for nest packing, no divider plates 39 can be used on the tilting platform, but there need only be vertical plates at each side in addition to the stop 40. This change can be made simply by unbolting the top plate 38from the lower plate 37 of the tilting platform and replacing it with another plate, or by removing the intervening plates 39 from between the outer sideplates, either of which operations can be accomplished quickly and easily.

For use with a drop-through packer, the unit here described comprising the sideplates 30 with the various parts carried thereby is simply removed bodily by removal of the four bolts 32 and a drop-through packer unit as disclosed in application Ser. No. 196,097, filed Feb. 3, 1969, or an end case packer as disclosed in application Ser. No. 796,056, filed Feb. 3, I969 is set in its place and the same bolts may be used to fasten down the replacement attachments. It will thus be seen that the basic unit shown in FIG. I carries no mechanism other than the drive for the conveyor belt whichis used with all types of packing, and the readily removable and replaceable divider plate grid structure. Change from one type of packing to another can thereby be accomplished with very little downtime and with very little labor, and this labor does not need to be skilled labor in order to make the changeover. End case loading is usually employed with containers of large diameter, and in this case there are usually only three lanes provided by the divider, and the divider plates are oscillated through a wider angle than with smaller containers, so that the adjustable eccentric shown in FIG. 7 can be simply adjusted to provide for this greater amplitude of oscillation. However, for very small containers, as for example glass containers used as individual creamers in restaurants require a greater number of lanes and a very small amplitude of oscillation, and this adjustment can be provided by again adjusting the eccentric pin and roller unit 22 closer to the center of the shaft 24 in the manner described.

There is an air regulator and valve unit R on the basic machine to which an air hose (not shown) from the upsidedown case loader can be attached or detached through a standard quick-release coupling for taking care of the air supply for the cylinders 44 and 47.

FIGS. 11 and 12 show the same upside-down case loader as previously described, and corresponding reference numerals are used to designate the corresponding parts. However, in the arrangement shown in these figures, each of the sideplates 30 has a rearwardly projecting bar or frame member 70, each of which may comprise two aligned sections spliced together, as show, rigidly secured thereto at a level below the rock shaft There is a cross shaft 71 carried in bearings 72 near the rear end of these arms. Fixed on the shaft 71 there is a sleeve or hub 73, and at each end of this sleeve there is a rimless wheel having four radial spokes 74 similar to the star wheel or turnstile. The spread between the two star wheels is less than the length of the carton but wider than the conveyor 75 that extends inwardly between these wheels toward the hub (see FIG. 1 1

There is a sprocket wheel 76 fixed on one end of the shaft 71. There is a second sprocket wheel 77 at the side of the machine in line with the wheel 76 and a sprocket chain 78. The rock shaft 35 on which the tilting platform is carried has a composite wheel element 80 thereon with a toothed rim 81 that is separate from the hub 82 with a pawl and ratchet connection to effect rotation of the rim in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIGS. 12 and 13, but wherein the toothed rim is stationary when the shaft 33 and the hub move counterclockwise. The toothed rim is engaged in the top reach of the sprocket chain 78 to drive the chain much as a pinion drives a rack in a rack-and-pinion drive.

With the arrangement just described, the star wheel is stationary when the rock shaft 35 is operated to move the tilting platform from the horizontal to the vertical position, but it is v rotated through an arc of 90 when the platform is returned from the vertical to the horizontal position. There is a brake disc 84 on the star wheel shaft 71 that cooperates with a friction element 85 on the frame member to restrain the star wheels and wheel shaft against overtravel or free reverse turning. The arms or spokes of the star wheels are so positioned that one vertical spoke is just far enough to the rear of the tilting platform when that platform is tilted to the vertical position to provide a quadrant into which the case will be easily received and come to rest on the forwardly extending horizontal arms or spokes. At that time the other horizontal spoke will bejust below the top of the conveyor 75 and the other vertical spoke will be down.

After the loaded carton has been received on the forwardly extending horizontal arms of the wheels and the tilting plate returns to its horizontal position, the wheels will turn 90 so that the vertical arm at the top moves down to the position of the rearwardly extending horizontal arm, thereby depositing the carton on the conveyor, and the transfer device is set for the next carton. Also the carton will have been turned from an upside-down position to an upright position on the conveyor 75 so that the carton flaps can be sealed. Of course the containers which were upright when the inverted carton was placed over them are now upside-down in the carton, but to the extent that this makes any difference, the cartons are so printed to enable the person who opens the cartons to open them in such manner that the containers are upright when the carton is opened because, after the open top is closed and sealed, one cannot tell, except for the printing, in which position he would expect the tops of the containers to be.

This filled carton addition is simple, positive and requires little attention, and makes it unnecessary for the machine attendant to handle the cartons at all, and the operation is effected smoothly and gently so that there is little danger with normal containers of there being damage or breakage.

it will be noted that in FIGS. 11 and 12 there is no divider plate grid over the belt conveyor that delivers containers to the tilting platform, but there are side guides, and there are no dividers on the tilting plate between the side guides. This is an arrangement used in the nest packing of case lots, as more fully explained in the first of the copending applications above mentioned, but the upside-down unit as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 can be just as well substituted.

lclaim:

l. A conveyor unit designed for use with various case packing mechanisms comprising:

a. a supporting frame having spaced horizontally extending parallel structural sections thereon,

b. an endless conveyor belt between said sections and extending around front and rear rollers mounted between said sections for conveying containers to be packed from the forward receiving end to the discharge end,

c. a dead plate at the discharge end of the conveyor flush with the top of the conveyor for receiving containers from the conveyor,

d. adjustable means for continuously driving the conveyor at a preselected speed,

c. a pair of fixed sideplates fixed to said frame, one extending along each side of the conveyor adjacent the discharge end thereof,

. a lane-fanning grid structure between said sideplates and positioned above the conveyor, said grid structure having spaced parallel guide plates and a pair of crossbars from which the plates are suspended, one near the rear end of said guide plates and one near the front ends of said guide plates,

g. a bracket "on the inner face of each sideplate in which the crossbar at the rear of the guide plates is held against endwise movement and movement in a direction longitudinally of the conveyor belt but from which it can be lifted vertically;

h. bearing elements near the forward ends of said sideplates on which the forward crossbar of said grid structure is rested and from which it may be lifted,

i. said horizontally extending structural section projecting rearwardly beyond the dead plate and said fixed sideplates with an open space between them free of any obstruction into which a removable case packer can be set.

2. A conveyor unit as defined in claim 1 wherein the guide plates of said lane-forming grid are pivotally suspended from the forward and rear crossbars, the forward crossbar extending beyond one of said fixed sideplates and having a yoke at the end with a vertical slot therein, and a motor-driven rotatable shaft with an eccentric pin thereover, the pin being received in said slot for reciprocating said forward crossbar, and from which said yoke may be lifted when the grid is removed.

3. A conveyor unit as defined in claim 2 wherein said eccentric pin is adjustable toward and away from the center of the shaft for adjusting the distance through which said bar is rcciprocated.

4. A conveyor unit as defined in claim 1 wherein said horizontally extending structural sections have a flange at the top thereof, the projecting ends having spaced bolt-receiving openings in their respective flanges.

5. An upside-down case packer attachment for mounting on a conveyor frame comprising:

a. a pair of spaced parallel vertical sideplates,

b. crossbars connecting said sideplates in fixed spaced relation,

c. a laterally extending horizontal flange on the outer face of each side sideplate for supporting the unit between parallel structural sections,

d. a rock shaft extending transversely between the two sideplates and supported in bearings on the confronting faces of the sideplates, a tiltablc platform fixed on the rock shaft and movable in an are from a horizontal to a vertical position,

e. a fluid pressure cylinder and piston unit anchored between the sideplates and connected with said rock shaft for moving the platform between the vertical and horizontal positions,

f. a gate member supported between said sideplates for vertical movement in a plane where the top of the plate is overhung by the edge of said platform when the platform is horizontal but free to move vertically as the platform tilts away from its horizontal position, and

g. means supported between the two plates for raising and lowering the gate.

6. An upside-down case packer unit as defined in claim 5 in which said last-named means comprises a spring for urging the gate upwardly and a cylinder and piston for moving it down, and a roller on the gate bearing against the under side of the platform through which the pressure of the gate pushing upward against the platform is transmitted to the platform.

7. An upside-down case packer having:

a. a conveyor belt,

b. a tilting platform at the end of the conveyor belt movable from a horizontal position to a vertical position,

c. a rock shaft on which said platform is mounted and by means of which it is moved between the horizontal and the vertical positions,

d. means for rotating said rock shaft through an arc of a rotatable shaft supported rearwardly of said tiltable platform having spaced wheellike elements thereon, each with four radial arms positioned 90 apart, and

e, means for transmitting rotating movement from said rock shaft to said second shaft when the rock shaft is moving from a position where the platform is vertical to the position where it is horizontal, but which is ineffective to rotate said shaft when the platform is tilting from the horizontal to the vertical position, said wheels having their arms so positioned that when one arm of each wheel is in a vertical position, one arm will extend horizontally toward said platform in position to receive a carton from the tilting platform as the platform moves from the horizontal to the vertical position,

f. A carton-receiving conveyor located on the opposite side of said last-named shaft from the tilting plate mechanism and extending into the space between said two wheellike elements, said conveyor being so positioned that the horizontal arms diametrically opposite said first horizontal arms are just below the level of said conveyor whereby a 90 rotation of said wheel elements will transfer a carton received from said tilting platform to said conveyor.

8. For use with an upside-down case packer of the type having a platform on which containers are grouped and an inverted open top case then moved down over the group of containers and the platform is then tilted by power-driven means to a vertical position to discharge the loaded carton therefrom, the invention comprising a loaded carton-receiving and transfer means comprising:

a. a loaded carton-receiving conveyor spaced from the tilting platform with a carton-receiving end extending toward the vertical plane to which the platform tilts,

b. a shaft rotatably supported between the tilting platform and the conveyor, said shaft having two star wheel elements thereon, each with four radial spokclike arms, the wheels being so spaced that the receiving end of the conveyor extends into the space between them but spaced from each other a distance less than the length of a carton, and c. means for rotating said shaft and wheels when said platform is moved from said vertical position to its horizontal position but not when the platform moves from the horizontal to the vertical positlon, the star wheels being so positioned and the arms so located that a carton being discharged from the tilting platform is received on horizontally extending forwardly projecting arms of each wheel against an upwardly extending arm of each wheel while a horizontal rearwardly extending arm of each wheel is at each side of the conveyor and the fourth arm of each wheel projects downwardly.

9. The loaded carton-receiving and transfer means defined in claim 8 wherein the means for rotating the shaft and wheels comprises a rock shaft for moving the platform between the horizontal and vertical positions and gearing including a ratchet for transmitting motion in one direction only from the rock shaft to the wheel shaft. 

1. A conveyor unit designed for use with various case packing mechanisms comprising: a. a supporting frame having spaced horizontally extending parallel structural sections thereon, b. an endless conveyor belt between said sections and extending around front and rear rollers mounted between said sections for conveying containers to be packed from the forward receiving end to the discharge end, c. a dead plate at the discharge end of the conveyor flush with the top of the conveyor for receiving containers from the conveyor, d. adjustable means for continuously driving the conveyor at a preselected speed, e. a pair of fixed sideplates fixed to said frame, one extending along each side of the conveyor adjacent the discharge end thereof, f. a lane-forming grid structure between said sideplates and positioned above the conveyor, said grid structure having spaced parallel guide plates and a pair of crossbars from which the plates are suspended, one near the rear end of said guide plates and one near the front ends of said guide plates, g. a bracket on the inner face of each sideplate in which the crossbar at the rear of the guide plates is held against endwise movement and movement in a direction longitudinally of the conveyor belt but from which it can be lifted vertically; h. bearing elements near the forward ends of said sideplates on which the forward crossbar of said grid structure is rested and from which it may be lifted, i. said horizontally extending structural section projecting rearwardly beyond the dead plate and said fixed sideplates with an open space between them free of any obstruction into which a removable case packer can be set.
 2. A conveyor unit as defined in claim 1 wherein the guide plates of said lane-forming grid are pivotally suspended from the forward and rear crossbars, the forward crossbar extending beyond one of said fixed sideplates and having a yoke at the end with a vertical slot therein, and a motor-driven rotatable shaft with an eccentric pin thereover, the pin being received in said slot for reciprocating said forward crossbar, and from which said yoke may be lifted when the grid is removed.
 3. A conveyor unit as defined in claim 2 wherein said eccentric pin is adjustable toward and away from the center of the shaft for adjusting the distance through which said bar is reciprocated.
 4. A conveyor unit as defined in claim 1 wherein said horizontally extending structural sections have a flange at the top thereof, the projecting ends having spaced bolt-receiving openings in their respective flanges.
 5. An upside-down case packer attachment for mounting on a conveyor frame comprising: a. a pair of spaced parallel vertical sideplates, b. crossbars connecting said sideplates in fixed spaced relation, c. a laterally extending horizontal Flange on the outer face of each side sideplate for supporting the unit between parallel structural sections, d. a rock shaft extending transversely between the two sideplates and supported in bearings on the confronting faces of the sideplates, a tiltable platform fixed on the rock shaft and movable in an arc from a horizontal to a vertical position, e. a fluid pressure cylinder and piston unit anchored between the sideplates and connected with said rock shaft for moving the platform between the vertical and horizontal positions, f. a gate member supported between said sideplates for vertical movement in a plane where the top of the plate is overhung by the edge of said platform when the platform is horizontal but free to move vertically as the platform tilts away from its horizontal position, and g. means supported between the two plates for raising and lowering the gate.
 6. An upside-down case packer unit as defined in claim 5 in which said last-named means comprises a spring for urging the gate upwardly and a cylinder and piston for moving it down, and a roller on the gate bearing against the under side of the platform through which the pressure of the gate pushing upward against the platform is transmitted to the platform.
 7. An upside-down case packer having: a. a conveyor belt, b. a tilting platform at the end of the conveyor belt movable from a horizontal position to a vertical position, c. a rock shaft on which said platform is mounted and by means of which it is moved between the horizontal and the vertical positions, d. means for rotating said rock shaft through an arc of 90*, a rotatable shaft supported rearwardly of said tiltable platform having spaced wheellike elements thereon, each with four radial arms positioned 90* apart, and e. means for transmitting rotating movement from said rock shaft to said second shaft when the rock shaft is moving from a position where the platform is vertical to the position where it is horizontal, but which is ineffective to rotate said shaft when the platform is tilting from the horizontal to the vertical position, said wheels having their arms so positioned that when one arm of each wheel is in a vertical position, one arm will extend horizontally toward said platform in position to receive a carton from the tilting platform as the platform moves from the horizontal to the vertical position, f. A carton-receiving conveyor located on the opposite side of said last-named shaft from the tilting plate mechanism and extending into the space between said two wheellike elements, said conveyor being so positioned that the horizontal arms diametrically opposite said first horizontal arms are just below the level of said conveyor whereby a 90* rotation of said wheel elements will transfer a carton received from said tilting platform to said conveyor.
 8. For use with an upside-down case packer of the type having a platform on which containers are grouped and an inverted open top case then moved down over the group of containers and the platform is then tilted by power-driven means to a vertical position to discharge the loaded carton therefrom, the invention comprising a loaded carton-receiving and transfer means comprising: a. a loaded carton-receiving conveyor spaced from the tilting platform with a carton-receiving end extending toward the vertical plane to which the platform tilts, b. a shaft rotatably supported between the tilting platform and the conveyor, said shaft having two star wheel elements thereon, each with four radial spokelike arms, the wheels being so spaced that the receiving end of the conveyor extends into the space between them but spaced from each other a distance less than the length of a carton, and c. means for rotating said shaft and wheels when said platform is moved from said vertical position to its horizontal position but not when the platform moves from the horizontal to the vertical position, the Star wheels being so positioned and the arms so located that a carton being discharged from the tilting platform is received on horizontally extending forwardly projecting arms of each wheel against an upwardly extending arm of each wheel while a horizontal rearwardly extending arm of each wheel is at each side of the conveyor and the fourth arm of each wheel projects downwardly.
 9. The loaded carton-receiving and transfer means defined in claim 8 wherein the means for rotating the shaft and wheels comprises a rock shaft for moving the platform between the horizontal and vertical positions and gearing including a ratchet for transmitting motion in one direction only from the rock shaft to the wheel shaft. 